Stochastic Terrorism, Speech Incantations, and Federal Tax Exemption

Abstract

Stochastic terrorists demonize and dehumanize groups of people through propaganda to incite “lone wolf” violence against those groups. Their demonization and dehumanization is explicit, but their solicitation of murder is implicit and sufficiently ambiguous that most listeners will not perceive their call. But a few will perceive, fewer still will act. The resulting murder, legally attributable to the killer but not the hate group, is random and unpredictable by time, place, or manner. Researchers theorize that stochastic terrorism is nevertheless capable of statistical analysis the results of which positively correlates violence to hate speech; murders increase even if it cannot be determined when, where or how a particular murder will occur. Stochastic terrorism is the raison d’etre of hate groups.

Stochastic terrorism is protected speech so far; it does not constitute fighting words, incite imminent lawlessness, or provoke a stampede to the exits. The law is not yet enlightened. I accept but do not rely on the inevitability of murder in my analysis. Whether stochastic terrorists are successful is not essential to my conclusion. Nevertheless, we should be explicit about what hate groups seek and the murders they incite before discussing their claim to tax exemption under IRC 501(c)(3). It diminishes the analysis not to be explicit. I do not allow for any other possibility than that hate groups seek the death of those they hate. Stochastic terrorists are genocidal; they would neither settle for subjugation or forced expatriation, nor concede reparations even if those were acceptable alternatives. I disprove the argument that because their speech is protected, stochastic terrorists are entitled, as an exercise of their free speech, to tax exemption under IRC 501(c)(3). The opposite is true. Government is required to deny tax exemption to stochastic terrorists.

Keywords: Hate groups, tax exemption, free speech

JEL Classification: K34, I24, H52, K19